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(No Model.)

R. D. RADCLIFFE. METHOD oF GONSTRUGTING UNDERGROUND GONDUITS. No. 440,576.

Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

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3513 M @Hume/|30 rens cal, moron-mu., wnsmnnrun n c UNITED ASTATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT D. RADCLIFFE, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HANS S. BEATTIE, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF CONS'TRUCTING UNDERGROUND CONDUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,576, dated November l1, 1890.

Application filed March 7,1890l Serial No. 343,035. (No model.)

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. RADCLIFFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have made a new and useful invention in the art of building or constructing subways, tunnels, sewers, or analogous structures located beneath street s, roads, or public passage-ways, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are, first, to diminish the expense incurred in the construction of such structures; second, to arrange during the paving or grading of a street for the future construction of a completed tunnel, subway, sewer, or analogous structure; third, to insure more perfect workmanship in the building of such structures; fourth, to economize time in the construction of this type of structures by building them while the street or roadway is being graded, paved, or completed; fth, to admit of the construction of the top or roof portion of such structures from the surface of the street or roadway in such manner as to offer a minimum inconvenience to street or road traffic on a completed and occupied street or roadway. I accomplish these objects by the practice of the method and the adaptation for use of the structure hereinafter described, but' more particularly pointed out in the claims which follow this speoiication.

For a full understanding of my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a crosssectional view of a paved or completed street or roadway having beneath it an arch, roof, or top of a tunnel built in accordance with my improved method. Fig. 2 is a sectional and partly perspective View of a paved or completed street or road- Vway and a completed tunnel made in accordance with my invention.

My novel method of construction consists in building or completing the arch roof or top of a tunnel or subway at the same time that the street or roadway is graded, paved, or repaired and in providing this arch, top, or roof with side supports, under which the said walls of the tunnel may be built at leisure,

or when it is deemed necessary to complete the entire structure.

Referring to the drawings in detail, C represents an arch built beneath the street or road surface and resting on side supports B of blue-stone or other substantial imperishable material having the desired strength to support the roof or arch. The excavated earth D is restored to place between the side walls a of the excavated surface trench on top of the arch after it is completed and has been concreted at its base, as shown. The streetpavement is laid in place, as shown, and the arch-former (not shown) drawn forward, leaving the free archway A. In this way the arch is completed and left, as shown in Fig. l, until it is desired to complete the entire tunnel.

When the tunnel is to be completed, I commence, preferably, at one end and excavate to the necessary distance under the free ends of the arch-supports B to admit the timber F and continue the excavation at this width until I am enabled to brace or sustain the free ends of said arch-supports B on each side 'by timbers F and snoring-braces G, sufficient space being left between the feet of the braces on opposite sides to permit the passage of dirtcars in excavating. The excavation is continued to a sufficient side depth under the supports B to admit of the building of the side walls D, the floor E having first been constructed of cement, concrete, stone, or any of the usual types of tunnel-flooring before the shoring-braces are placed in position; or this order of construction may be varied at will, as .will suggest itself to the engineer, the essential feature being the securing of the ends of the arch pending the building of the walls D. Vhen the walls D are finally cornpleted, the shoring and bracing timbers F Gr are removed, and the tunnel is ready for use.

In the drawings the arch and walls are shown as of brick, and the side supports are of blue-stone slabs of sufficient length and breadth to sustain the arch in sections; but it is obvious that any of the well-known substitutes for brick and stone may be used in the entire structure, such matters being within the skill of the artisan.

During the building of the arch,roof, or top C man-holes H (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) or ventilation-passages may be constructed Where desired. In the same manner branch arches running beneath side streets, alleys, or into the basements of houses on either side may be constructed, thereby forming a net-work of unfinished tunnels or sub- Ways beneath a city, to be completed at will in the future.

I do not limit myself in the practice of my improved method to the construction of arches alone, as it is obvious that any top covering or roof of suflicient strength to support the Street traffic at all times may supplant the arch, the essential feature of my invention being that said roof, top, or support shall have means for sustaining it and its supported load while the side Walls of the actual tunnel are being put in place.

My improved method may also be practiced beneath streets already completed by simply opening a short length of pavement ofthe desired width and closing it again as the work proceeds, while the tunnel beneath the arch or roof may be constructed at the pleasure of the builder with speed and security against accidents and at a minimum cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The described method of constructing a tunnel, subway, or analogous structure, consisting in excavating from the surface of the,

earth to a sufficient depth to build or place the roof, top, or arch of the struct-ure, then building such roof, top, or arch, then sustaining it from below, and finally completing the entire structure from its interior, substantially as described.

2. The described method of constructing a subterraneous passage-way, which consists in excavating from the surface of the earth to a suiiicient depth for the top, roof, or arch of the structure only, then placing said top, roof, or arch in position, and nally completing the structure by excavating from beneath the top, roof, or arch and building its side Walls in position to support the same, substantially as described.

3. The described method of constructinga subterraneous passage-Way, consisting in eX- cavating from the surface of the earth to the desired 'depth to conceal the top, roof, or arch of the structure, then excavating the passage- Way beneath the top, roof, or arch, and then building the side walls in place, substantially as described.

4. The described method of providing ready means for subterraneous passage-Ways beneath streets or roadways, consisting in building the roofs, tops, or arches only of the passage-Ways when the streets are graded, paved, constructed, or repaired, substantially as described.

5. The described method of constructing subterraneous passages beneath the streets or roadways of a city, consisting in removing the paving or surface covering of the street or roadway, as the necessity of the case demands, then placing the roof, top, or varch of the structure in position, then restoring the street surface to normal condition, and finally completing the entire structure from below this roof, top, or arch, substantially as described.

6. The described method of constructing subterraneous passage-Ways beneath streets or roadways, consisting in removing the street surface in such proportions of width and depth as the necessities of the case may demand, then placing the roof, top, or arch of the structure in position, then restoring the street or road to normal condition, then excavating the passage-way from the interior, then bracing-or supporting the roof, top, or arch, and nally building the side walls under the ends of the roof, top, or arch, substantially as described.

ROBT. D. RADCLIFFE.

Witnesses:

N. S. BAILEY, C. J. KINTNER. 

